Synthesis, Antibacterial Evaluation, and Molecular Docking Investigations of Biologically Active Substituted Tetrazole-Linked 1,8-Naphthyridine Derivatives

Abstract A series of 4-aryltetrazolo[1,5-a][1,8]naphthyridine derivatives was synthesized and confirmed by 1H, 13C NMR, and mass spectrometry. The synthesized derivatives’ antibacterial activity was assessed against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and gram-negative bacteria (E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae). All the compounds exhibited excellent activity. Among the synthesized derivatives, 4-(p-tolyl)tetrazolo[1,5-a][1,8]naphthyridine showed the most potent antibacterial activity. Molecular docking studies were a good complement, and the binding interactions of the derivatives with relevant bacterial target proteins revealed a strong correlation between in vitro activity and binding affinity.